Alsara: Requiem and Revolution

The Dark before the Dawn

Imperial Paladin Orders

In the Empire, the lowest military class of nobles are Knights, who are given paltry amounts of land in return for military service. Knights are the best soldiers in the Empire, and nearly all have participated in multiple battles, even multiple wars.

From a purely military standpoint, Paladins are identical to Knights. They are well-equipped, well-trained, experienced soldiers and are known to serve as the hammer in a military engagement. Off the battlefield, however, a Paladin is very different from a Knight.

Paladins possess no land, nor titles beyond their rank. They often adhere to vows which restrict their actions associated to the emulation of a deity, typically Aenor. They also are responsible for upholding the law to some capacity, and defending the interests of the Imperial Sept.
Most importantly, they belong to one of three different Orders:

These organizations are extremely militant in their structure, with Paladins of lower rank able to be commanded by their superiors without justification, even to their deaths. It’s not all bad: these Orders confer many rights and privileges to their members, including the ability to demand food and shelter from Imperial citizens, as well as transportation and access to legal documentation. In return, they offer the people protection, lawful judgement in the eyes of their God, wise council in war and peace, and often simply a heroic example of right behavior. The variations depend on their Order.